Article: Q106399
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 4.0,5.0,6.0,6.11
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbenv kbide kbVC kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbGrpDSTools
Last Modified: 27-JUL-2001
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.0
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, versions 5.0, 6.0
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, versions 5.0, 6.0
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0
- Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM)
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SUMMARY
=======
Versions of Microsoft Visual C++, version 4.0 and later, do not support
assembler source files by default. That is, the Developer Studio does not
associate any special significance to .asm files without being informed
otherwise. However, there are several viable options, namely custom build rules,
which enable the creation of projects that depend directly upon assembler source
files.
The remainder of this article discusses four methods for adding .ASM files to a
Visual C++ project. The methods are:
1. Using custom build rules;
2. Modifying a VWB makefile and using it as an external makefile;
3. Using an external makefile to assemble the assembly modules and then using an
internal makefile for the main program, and
4. Creating an option on the VWB Tools menu to assemble each assembly module as
needed.
Of these methods, the use of custom build rules receives special attention. This
powerful construct debuts in Visual C++ version 4.0. By utilizing a custom build
rule, a project can invoke MASM on a per file basis to assemble .asm files. The
resulting object modules can then be linked into the desired target.
MORE INFORMATION
================
Method 1
--------
Using Visual C++ Developer Studio, the following provides sample code and a
step-by-step example of how to create a simple console application, CAPP, that
requires MASM (Ml.exe) to assemble one of its source files. Note that the sample
code for this example was borrowed from KB article Q104644, Passing C Arrays to
MASM by Reference.
Method 1: Sample Code - C Module
--------------------------------
/* Filename: CMAIN.C */
#include <stdio.h>
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
void MasmSub (char *, short *, long *);
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
char chararray[4] = "abc";
short shortarray[3] = {1, 2, 3};
long longarray[3] = {32768, 32769, 32770};
void main( void )
{
printf ("%s\n", chararray);
printf ("%d %d %d\n", shortarray[0], shortarray[1], shortarray[2]);
printf ("%ld %ld %ld\n", longarray[0], longarray[1], longarray[2]);
MasmSub (chararray, shortarray, longarray);
printf ("%s\n", chararray);
printf ("%d %d %d\n", shortarray[0], shortarray[1], shortarray[2]);
printf ("%ld %ld %ld\n", longarray[0], longarray[1], longarray[2]);
}
Method 1: Sample Code - ASM Module
----------------------------------
; Filename: MASMSUB.ASM
; Assemble options needed for ML: /c /Cx /coff
.386
.MODEL flat, C
.CODE
MasmSub PROC uses esi, \
arraychar:PTR, \
arrayshort:PTR, \
arraylong:PTR
mov esi, arraychar ; Load ESI with the address of the char array.
mov BYTE PTR [esi], "x" ; Since a char is 1 byte long, each
mov BYTE PTR [esi+1], "y" ; successive element can be accessed
mov BYTE PTR [esi+2], "z" ; by adding 1 more to esi.
mov esi, arrayshort; Load ESI with the address of the short array.
add WORD PTR [esi], 7 ; Since a short is 2 bytes long, each
add WORD PTR [esi+2], 7 ; successive element can be accessed
add WORD PTR [esi+4], 7 ; by adding 2 more to esi.
mov esi, arraylong ; Load ESI with the address of the long array.
inc DWORD PTR [esi] ; Since a long is 4 bytes long, each
inc DWORD PTR [esi+4] ; successive element can be accessed
inc DWORD PTR [esi+8] ; by adding 4 more to esi.
ret
MasmSub ENDP
END
Method 1: Step-by-step Instructions for Building CAPP
-----------------------------------------------------
Use the following steps to create the project:
1. Start the Visual C++ Developer Studio, Msdev.exe.
2. Create and save Cmain.c and MasmSub.asm.
3. From the File menu, select New. Create a new console application named CAPP.
For Visual C++, version 4.0, follow these steps to build the project:
1. From the Insert menu, choose Files into Project. In the Insert Files into
Project dialog box, select Cmain.c as a Common File Type and press OK.
2. From the Insert menu, choose Files into Project. In the Insert Files into
Project dialog box, select MasmSub.asm as an All Files Type and press OK.
3. From the Build menu, choose Settings. In the Settings For list box in the
Project Settings dialog box, expand the "CAPP - Win32 Debug" target such that
MasmSub.asm is visible. Highlight only MasmSub.asm.
4. Select the Custom Build tab.
5. In the first line of the Build command(s) box, enter the full path and file
name for MASM, the desired build options, and the macro for the File Input
Path. The latter can be obtained by pressing the Files button and selecting
Input Path from the resulting menu. If Ml.exe is in the C:\MASM611A\BIN
directory, the entry would appear as follows:
C:\MASM611A\BIN\ML.EXE /c /Cx /coff $(InputPath)
6. In the first line of the Output files(s) box, enter MasmSub.obj.
7. Press OK in the Project Settings dialog box to save your changes. (This also
selects the default build options for Cmain.c.)
8. The "CAPP - Win32 Debug" target is now ready to be built. From the Build
menu, select Rebuild All. First, Ml.exe will be invoked to compile
MasmSub.asm, second, Cl.exe will be invoked to compile Cmain.c, and third,
Link.exe will be invoked to generate Capp.exe.
9. The following is the console output of Capp.exe:
abc
1 2 3
32768 32769 32770
xyz
8 9 10
32769 32770 32771
10. To build the "CAPP - Win32 Release" target, select its name in the Target
drop-down list box on the Project Workspace toolbar. Then, repeat steps 6
through 11 substituting the release version of the target for the debug
version.
For Visual C++, versions 5.0 and 6.0, follow these steps to build the project:
1. On the Project menu, point to Add To Project, and then click Files.
2. Find and select both Cmain.c and MasmSub.asm.
3. On the Project menu, click Settings.
4. On the Project Settings dialog box, select All Configurations in the Settings
For list.
5. Click the Custom Build tab.
6. In the first line of the Build command(s) box, enter the full path and file
name for MASM, the desired build options, and the macro for the File Input
Path. The latter can be obtained by pressing the Files button and selecting
Input Path from the resulting menu. If Ml.exe is in the C:\MASM611A\BIN
directory, the entry would appear as follows:
C:\MASM611A\BIN\ML.EXE /c /Cx /coff $(InputPath)
7. In the first line of the Output files(s) box, enter MasmSub.obj.
8. On the Build menu, click Batch Build. Select the desired configurations and
click the Rebuild All button.
For more information on custom build rules, see the Visual C++ online Help for
the Custom Build Tab (press the Help button in the Project Settings dialog box
when the Custom Build tab is selected).
Method 2
--------
Modify a Visual WorkBench makefile and then use it as an external makefile. To do
this, use the following steps:
1. Open or create a project with the VWB and set it up as desired for the C/C++
files in the project.
2. Close the project and modify the .MAK file to include build rules for the
assembly modules.
3. Put a comment at the start of the file to force the VWB to read the file as
an external makefile; otherwise, you could lose your changes.
The primary disadvantage of this method is you cannot use the VWB options to
change the way a build is done with an external makefile.
Method 3
--------
Use an external makefile to assemble the assembly modules, and use an internal
makefile for the main program, which includes the MASM .obj files built with the
external makefile. Simply add the .obj files to the project list.
With this method, remember to load the external makefile and build the .obj files
after changing any MASM code. By doing this, you can still use the VWB to modify
options for the main project, including switching from debug to release. The
linker will drop the CodeView information if you select release build for the
main project, so always having the debug switches on for the assembler files is
not a problem.
Method 4
--------
Create an option on the VWB Tools menu to assemble each assembly module as
needed. The following setups can be used to create Tools menu items that build
the current file:
1. From the Tools menu, choose the Customize option.
2. Select the Tools tab in the Customize dialog box. Press Add.
3. Specify the complete path to Ml.exe in the Command edit field of the Add Tool
dialog box, or use the Browse button feature, and press OK.
4. Set up the Ml.exe menu option as follows:
Menu Text: &Assemble Current File
Command: <should be set from step 3 above>
Arguments: /c /Zi /Fl /Sa $FileName
Initial Directory: $FileDir
Check the box for: "Prompt for Arguments"
Check the box for: "Redirect to Output Window"
5. Press the Close button.
The assembly results will appear in the build output window. You can use F4 to
jump to lines containing errors in the source window.
Additional query words: VWBIss
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Keywords : kbenv kbide kbVC kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbGrpDSTools
Technology : kbVCsearch kbVC400 kbMASMsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVC500 kbVC600 kbVC32bitSearch kbVC500Search
Version : :4.0,5.0,6.0,6.11
Issue type : kbinfo
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